North Fork Crow River TMDL Bacteria, Nutrients, and Turbidity

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act establishes a directive for developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to achieve Minnesota water quality standards established for designated uses of State waterbodies. Under this directive, the State of Minnesota has directed that a TMDL be prepared to address bacteria and turbidity exceedances as well as low dissolved oxygen in reaches located in the North Fork Crow River Watershed. The goal of the TMDL study is to quantify the pollutant reductions needed to meet State water quality standards. This report presents the results of the study. The North Fork Crow River Watershed is located in eight counties in west-central Minnesota:Wright, Meeker, Kandiyohi, Stearns, Pope, Hennepin, McLeod, and Carver (Figure 1.1). The headwaters for the North Fork Crow River are located in Pope County, at Grove Lake. The North and South Forks of the Crow River converge in Rockford, Minnesota to become the Lower Crow River. The Lower Crow River flows northeast along the borders of Wright and Hennepin Counties until it empties in to the Mississippi River at the common boundary between Otsego and Dayton. From here forward the watershed will be referred to as the North Fork Crow River.